Bo Gong, PhD
Assistant Professor
Cell and Tissue Biology
School of Dentistry

To address these questions, my lab takes a bottom-up approach that begins with cell biology. We develop de novo reporters for high-content and high-resolution imaging, allowing us to track cell decisions at the single-cell level and analyze cellular heterogeneity quantitatively. Using these tools, we identify previously unrecognized structural determinants that influence cell decisions across development, neurobiology, and immunology. We then apply omics-based approaches to systematically map the molecular basis underlying these structural features, before returning to organoid and animal models to uncover their physiological roles. Through this multi-scale approach, spanning reconstituted systems, live cells, embryos, and animals, we aim to reveal the fundamental principles that govern how cells integrate signals and structures to make fate decisions. Ultimately, by harnessing these principles, we hope to engineer cells to guide development and combat disease. A key structural determinant we recently identified is the membrane contact site between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM)—specialized regions where cellular membranes come into close proximity to exchange signals and materials. We are currently uncovering how these sites help establish and maintain cell polarity, both in vitro and in vivo, a fundamental property that enables cells to sense their environment and determine when and where to move.

• Molecular basis for bipartite recognition of histone H3 by the PZP domain of PHF14.
  Nucleic acids research 2021 Zheng S, Bi Y, Chen H, Gong B, Jia S, Li H
• A Golgi-derived vesicle potentiates PtdIns4P to PtdIns3P conversion for endosome fission.
  Nature cell biology 2021 Gong B, Guo Y, Ding S, Liu X, Meng A, Li D, Jia S
• Sec14l3 potentiates VEGFR2 signaling to regulate zebrafish vasculogenesis.
  Nature communications 2019 Gong B, Li Z, Xiao W, Li G, Ding S, Meng A, Jia S
• Alkbh4 and Atrn Act Maternally to Regulate Zebrafish Epiboly.
  International journal of biological sciences 2017 Sun Q, Liu X, Gong B, Wu D, Meng A, Jia S
• The Sec14-like phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins Sec14l3/SEC14L2 act as GTPase proteins to mediate Wnt/Ca2+ signaling.
  eLife 2017 Gong B, Shen W, Xiao W, Meng Y, Meng A, Jia S
• TGFß1a regulates zebrafish posterior lateral line formation via Smad5 mediated pathway.
  Journal of molecular cell biology 2015 Xing C, Gong B, Xue Y, Han Y, Wang Y, Meng A, Jia S